Norfolk schools plan teacher raises and fixes to aging buildings — if they get the money

Norfolk — Teachers would get a raise and a one-time bonus in the 2021-22 budget approved Wednesday by the Norfolk School Board.

The raises are included in the district’s $350 million operating budget, along with additional support staff positions like behavioral specialists, attendance staff and security officers. That’s an increase of about $12 million or 4% compared with this year.

The bonuses, a reward for full-time employees as a “thank you” for work done during the pandemic, will be paid for with surplus money from the 2019-20 budget.

The board also is asking the City Council for $16 million for fixes to school buildings. A few needs have been identified — such as a roof at Booker T. Washington High — but the board asked the city for spending flexibility if other needs are deemed more pressing.

The budget was approved 4-3, with Vice Chairman Rodney Jordan, Tanya Bhasin and Christine Smith voting no. Each had asked for other priorities to be included in the budget.

The district’s spending plan isn’t final: The board’s proposed operating and capital budgets and its plans for the carryover money — also known as “fund balance” — goes to the City Council for consideration as part of its budget. City and state budgets, which aren’t finalized, could affect the district’s plans.

There’s a little more certainty about this year’s budget compared with last year’s, which was approved in the early days of the mandatory school closures before it was clear what the impact of the pandemic would be in a month, let alone a year.

Many of the additional positions and resources included in the 2021-22 budget were first approved last year, then cut from the budget after city and state revenues dropped.

The pandemic also has resulted in additional one-time funding through the federal CARES Act. Norfolk schools are slated to receive $50 million in next year’s budget, in addition to $18 million they received this year. That’s on top of the district’s regular sources of money.

Here are the highlights of the proposal:

Teacher pay

The proposal calls for an average pay raise of 5% for all employees except administrators, who will receive an average increase of 3%.

Norfolk’s pay raise goes above the General Assembly’s proposal, which calls for a 5% increase for teachers and school staff spread over this year and next. Because Norfolk gave employees a 2% raise this year, only 3% was required next year in order to get the state’s full match.

The raise in Norfolk is the result of moving staff to the next step on their pay scales. Starting teacher pay is set to increase from $44,220 to $47,000, which bumps up every other step.

The raises would cost about $12 million total.

Norfolk’s budget also calls for increasing the rate of part-time teachers from $25 an hour to $30, something that was approved last year but ultimately cut from the amended budget.

School support staff

The new positions in next year’s budget are mainly what the board planned to add this year before cuts:

Five additional specialists to help students with behavioral needs;

Nine staff to help students with attendance issues and chronic absenteeism;

Five additional security officers to serve as “roving” security for elementary schools

Building fixes

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The board’s capital improvement budget asks the city for $16 million for facilities, which is equivalent to what consultants have estimated the district should be spending each year just to keep even with routine maintenance needs.

The board asked for $16 million last year, but received $9 million.

The board also is asking for $17.7 million that’s left of 2019-20′s surplus after the bonuses are paid to be dedicated to capital improvement projects.

City Council members have repeatedly asked the school board for years to provide a long-range plan that addresses the district’s declining enrollment and the resulting underuse of many buildings. The school board hasn’t created such a plan, but told its council counterparts last month that it will.

For now, the board approved plans for one year’s worth of projects, but asked the council for flexibility if other needs are later deemed to be more pressing. The $16 million would cover roof replacements at three schools, an HVAC replacement at one elementary school, and door and window replacements at six elementaries.

The district hasn’t decided which projects the $17.7 million from the surplus would cover.

Sara Gregory, 757-469-7484, sara.gregory@pilotonline.com